A dowry is a transfer of parental property at the marriage of a daughter. It includes furniture, linen, money etc. Dowry contrasts with the related concept of bride price. It is the wealth transferred from the bride’s family to the groom or his family. Disputes related to dowry sometimes result in acts of violence against the women including killing and acid attacks.
I am Usama and I am going to share about the family who faces the problem of dowry. Two families were involved. Families of the bride and groom negotiate a transfer of assets to the groom and his family in exchange for marrying the bride, often within the context of an arranged marriage. Dissatisfaction with the amount of dowry may result in abuse of the bride. In extreme cases "dowry deaths" or the murder of the bride by her husband and his family take place. So the practice of dowry in South Asia is a controversial subject. Dowry is an ancient custom Dowries continue to be expected and demanded as a condition to accept a marriage proposal, in some parts of the world, mainly in parts of Asia, The research was being conducted on people who face the dowry system in Sialkot. It happened because of greed factor, Propulsion towards Adhering to Customs and urge to show off. A family of groom demands the dowry which includes many things which enhances psychological tension to the bride family. And it leads to some immoral practices. Girl being considered burden due to dowry because when the question of marrying the girls comes, the parents are the unhappiest creatures on earth. The only problem is not to find a groom suitable for the girl, but to meet the demand of dowry.
Dowry is a deep-rooted social evil. As we are living in the 21'st century but the truth still persists that the women in our society have been ill-treated. Most of the women in this study experienced dowry related domestic violence got married in their early age 52.5%, from rural background (55%) so I think rich people are promoting dowry system by spending lavishly on marriages So, we need to take a pledge that we won’t give it and we won’t take it, make people aware about what they are doing, do not be greedy even if you take it as a custom, never go for a marriage with dowry included and never take your daughter as a formality.
- Causes of Dowry System
1. Greed factor
2. Society structure
3. Religious dictates
4. Social constraints
5. Social status of women
6. Illiteracy
7. Propulsion Towards Adhering to Customs
8. Urge to show off
- Advantages of Dowry system:
- 1. Dowry helps newly married couple to establish their family.
- 2. It makes marriage of ugly looking girl easy
- 3. Supports the Higher Education of poor boys
- 4. Raises the status of women in family
- 5. Promotes Inter-caste, inter religion and inter- state marriage
- Disadvantages of Dowry System:
1. Dowry causes great economic burden on bride’s family
2. Increases corrupt attitude of parents
3. Dowry practice enhances psychological tension
4. Dowry leads to some immoral practices
5. Dowry practice lowers the status of women
Dowry is exchanged in a majority of Indian weddings. Although its practice became illegal in 1961, dowry flourishes among all social classes. Families of the bride and groom negotiate transfer of assets to the groom and his family in exchange for marrying the bride, often within the context of an arranged marriage. Dissatisfaction with the amount of dowry may result in abuse of the bride. In extreme cases "dowry deaths" or the murder of the bride by her husband and his family take place. This article conducts a feminist psychological analysis of the dowry phenomenon, its link to domestic violence against women, and the role of the perpetrators. Existing and new explanations of the dowry system and its ramifications are explored. Psychologically based interventions and the implications of dowry related violence in the larger context of Asian Indians living in North America and the United Kingdom are discussed.( Rastogi M1, Therly P) A dowry (also known as trousseau) is a gift of money or valuables given by the bride’s family to that of the groom to permit-their marriage. In societies where payment of dowry is common, unmarried women are seen to attract stigma and tarnish the household’s reputation, so it is in the bride’s family’s interest to marry off their daughter as soon as she is eligible. in some areas where this is practiced, the size of the necessary dowry is directly proportional to the groom’s social standing, thus making it virtually impossible for lower class women to marry into upper class families. In some cases where a women’s family is too poor to afford any dowry whatsoever, she is either simply forbidden from ever marrying, or at most becomes a concubine to a richer man who can afford to support a large household. (DR. PRAKASH D. HAVERIPETH) A review of cases reported at the Family Counseling Centers (FCCs) in Chandigarh shows that dowry is a significant factor for marital discord. 36.2% of the married women who approached the FCCs complained of dowry related violence. This violence manifested itself in physical, emotional and economic forms. Most women turned to their parental families for help against this violence (29.3%), and only 12.1% approached the police and even fewer, 10.3%, approached NGOs. In an overwhelming majority of cases (44.8%), the parents submitted to the dowry demand; only 12.1% filed a complaint with the police and just over 15% sought separation or divorce. Clearly, dowry is a deep rooted social evil, whose victims are either reluctant or unable to get redress from the law enforcement agencies meant to support them or the NGOs. (Ms. Mahek Singh*)
Marriage is an auspicious ceremony which unites two bodies’ two souls. It’s a lifelong bonding of one man and one woman but to the great extent, the major problem is of "dowry culture” in our society. Demand of dowry is a major problem in Indian marriages; it is a deep rooted social evil. As we are living in the 21'st century but the truth still persists that the women in our society has been ill-treated. After or before marriage she has bereft of her own identity and looked upon to her family members or on husband for basic necessities. This study defines the relation between domestic violence and dowry demands. Forty cases of dowry related domestic violence were studied here from western UP, India. Most of the women in this study experienced dowry related domestic violence got married in their early age 52.5%, from rural background (55%), have a lower household income (55% cases) and not working (92.5%). Majority of cases reported in the early years of marriage (55%), and they were from lower educational background. The result of this study indicates that Economic empowerment, together with higher education and modified cultural norms may protect the women from such type of social evil. (Priyanka Rawal, Jyoti Singh)
In the last i must say (SAY NO TO DOWRY) help poor people around you in such cases :(